CESA Launches 100% Clean Energy Collaborative

The Clean Energy States Alliance has launched the 100% Clean Energy Collaborative, a new initiative to provide critical information sharing and knowledge transfer among states that have established 100% clean energy goals for their electricity sectors.

The rapid adoption of aggressive clean energy targets by states has been one of the most important energy and climate change policy developments of the past few years; 14 states plus the District of Columbia have now set such goals. The new Collaborative will create a forum for those states to cooperate on program development in order to speed progress towards achieving the states’ ambitious targets.

California Energy Commission Chair David Hochschild underscored the importance of the effort, stating, “The extraordinary momentum for 100% clean energy that is unfolding across the US presents an important opportunity. The more states collaborate on strategies, policies, and regulations to support the 100% vision, the greater the likelihood of success. That is why I strongly support this new forum for states engaged in the 100% clean energy vision.”

Doreen Harris, vice president of large-scale renewables at NYSERDA, added “Under Governor Cuomo’s leadership, New York is pushing forward to achieve 100% carbon-free electricity by 2040 while on a path to economy-wide carbon neutrality under the Governor’s nation-leading clean energy and jobs agenda. Convening with sister states to achieve nation-wide success under the 100% Clean Energy Collaborative will support sustained growth of the nation’s green economy at a critical time in the fight against climate change.”

To achieve 100% clean electricity economically, while ensuring equitable benefits and maintaining grid reliability, will require careful implementation and attention to myriad technical, institutional, and policy challenges. CESA, as a coalition of state agencies working to advance clean energy, is well-suited to manage a new collaborative platform for states.

The primary participants in the 100% Clean Energy Collaborative will be state officials with responsibilities for achieving 100% goals and policymakers in other states that are considering establishing similar goals. Through the Collaborative, participants will share program insights and learning, engage with analysts who are studying solutions to technical challenges, and participate in Collaborative meetings by teleconference and in person. As the Collaborative gains support, it will ramp up to allow for more intensive engagement, including the provision of individualized technical assistance for states and the development of multi-state implementation strategies.

“The rapid cost declines for wind, solar, and battery technologies, plus the growing threat of climate change, have motivated states to move aggressively to clean up their power supplies,” noted CESA Executive Director Warren Leon. “This new Collaborative will help states make more rapid progress towards their clean energy goals by engaging with other state leaders to form a peer network.”

CESA played a similar convening and facilitation role for a decade with states that have renewable portfolio standards (RPSs). Through the RPS Collaborative, CESA assisted RPS program administrators in 29 states (plus the District of Columbia) to implement best practices for their RPS programs.

For the 100% Clean Energy Collaborative, an Advisory Committee composed of state officials from California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Washington, as well as other clean energy experts, will help CESA to establish work plans, communications strategies, and fundraising activities for this multi-year effort.

The Collaborative will invite the participation of a wider group of stakeholders, including utilities and municipalities with 100% clean energy goals, as well as with advocates, industry representatives, and interested members of the general public. This broader audience can sign up to receive a free bimonthly newsletter with news about activities by states across the country and to receive registration notices to attend the Collaborative’s  free periodic webinars.

Three webinars have already been scheduled:

• 100% Clean Energy States and the 100% Clean Energy Collaborative, with California Energy Commission Chair David Hochschild and NYSERDA President Alicia Barton, May 11, 2020, 3-4 PM ET
• Recent RPS Studies: Maine and Maryland, April 15, 2020, 1-2 PM ET
• Decarbonizing Electricity: The Critical Role of Firm Low-Carbon Resources, with Jesse Jenkins of Princeton University, May 15, 2020, 2-3 PM ET

More information can be found about the 100% Clean Energy Collaborative on the CESA website.